Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1884 — DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

The Democratic party of Indiana, in convention assembled, renews its pledges ot fidelity to the Constitution and to die doctiiucs taugnt by the illustrious men who were its founders and illustrated in their administrations of tne Government, aud insists upon an honest and economical administration of public affairs. Federal, State and municipal. It will resist all efforts to deprive the Federal Government of any of its powers as dele** gated in the Constitulion, and will main tain for the States and the people respect, iveiy the rights and powers reserved to them in the Constitution.

It condemns the corrupt and extravagant expenditures of the public money that have prevailed at Washington during the rule of the Republican party. 2. To the end thet such expenditures may be discontinued, aud cruel burde is removed from the taxpayers we insist that the Federal taxes be reduced to the lowest point consistent with efficiency in the public service, and we demand a res yision and retarm of the present (unjust tariff. The Constitution ot the United States | which is the only source of taxing power, confers upon Congress the right tojestablish a tarifi for revenue, and as a just exereise of that power we favor such an adjustment of its provisions, the revenue standard, as will relieve, as tor as possible, the necessaries of life from the burdens of taxation, and derive the principal amount of revenue for ths support of government economically administered, 'rom luxuries; aod such tariff should be adjusted without favoritism, 80 as to prevent monopolies, and thus in effect promote labor and the interests of the laboring people of the United States We insist that the surplus revenue shall be faithfully applied to the paymeut of the public debt. When these revenue reforms shall have been accomolished the people may hooe for economical and honest exDenditures.

3. The Democratic party being oi the people and for the people, favors such legislation as will guarantee the roadest protection to the interests and welfare of the industrial masses; it recognizes the fact that labor is the producer of the wealth of a nation, and that laws should lie so framed as encourage and promote the interest, progress and prosperity of e*ch and every branch of industry; it fa vora the enforcement of the National eight hour law. ns also a reduction of the number of hours iu a day’s labor udoii all public w.irk. State and municipal; it favors the e.-tablisbment of Bureaus of Labor Statistics, State and National; it favors, as far a« practical, the use of pris on and reformatory labor so as not to compete wi'h .he labor of the honest citizen upon the outside: it favors the enactment of such .laws as will prohibit the employment of children under fourteen years of age in our manufactories, mines and work shops; it favors the passage of laws for the payment of labor performed in lawful currency, instead of priv te depieciated scrip, and that the mechanic shall he secured, by a first lien upon work done, for wages thereon performed. We demand a strict enforcement of the laws again«t Uliineso lmmirra'ion, and such legislation by Uougresa ns shall effectually prevent the importations of persons under the passage-cornrnet system wh- -1 arc brought here with no purpose of permanent settlement or residence—a system which reduces the wages and deteriorates the character of our home industries. 4. That w? recognize the right of all men to organize for >o ini or material advancement; ttbe right »*t wage workers to u-e all la rs 1 me ms t<» irot-ct themselves avainst me encroac ment of monied mocoyol sts, and the right to fix a price for their labor commensurate whit the work required of them, aud we hold that every man has the risotto dispose of his own labor upon such terms a 3 he may think will best prommehis interests, and without interference by any other person. In relations between capital and labor the Democratic party favors such measures a d policies as will nmmoteharmony bettween thorn, and will adequately protect the rights of both. •5. We deem It of vita! impedance that private corporations should be prohibited by law from watering their corporate stock.

It. Resolved, That it is the duty of the ! Government lo repossess .itself of all ' public lands heretofore granted lor the i benefit of corporations " Il'ich have been forfeited by iion-compjiajice with the cond]tions<d' the gra'nt, unit should hold the same f. r iii-j use and beueflt of the people. Laws should be passed to prevent the ownership of large tracts of land bv corporations, or oy persons not citizens of the United States, or who have not declared their intention to become such as provided by law. Congress should discourage the purchase of public laad in large bodies by any parties for speculative purposes, but should preserve the same, as far as practicable, forlactual sellers, aud to that < udall subsidies of land, as well as money, to corporation? and speculators, should cease forever.

47. The Democratic party is the faithful friend of the soldiers, their widows and orphans. We are in favor of the granting of pensions to ail soldiers suffering trom disability incurred daring setvice in the army; of granting pensions to the soldiers of the Mexican War; of equalizing bounties and pensions to soldiers and pensioners without limitation as to time, and of providing for the widows of all soldiers.

8. We hold it to be the duty of our Government to protect in every part of the world all our naturalized dittzens, including those who have d< dared tbeir intention to become 9uch according to our laws, the same as we would our na-tive-born, and to resist all improper claims upon them by governments to whom the rno longer owe allegiance; aud pur sympathies are with all oppressed people in all parts of the world, in all rightful and proper efforts to tree themselves from oppression, and establieh free iuetiiuti os based on the consent of the governed 9 The Democratic party demands reforms in the ciyil service that will again result in the employment of those who are honest and capable, and that honesty and capability shall again be made a condition of public employment. 10. The free schools »f Indiana are the pride and glory of the State, and the Democratic party will see to it that they are not poisoned by the breath of sectarianism, or destroyed by waste and extravagance in their management. 11. We approve of the action of the late Democratic Legislature in preventing a partisan Governor trom politically revolutionizing the benevolent i stitutions of the State, which he had already eommenceu by the nomination of his party friends to fill the vacancies about to occur in the boards of directors of said institutions

11. We aiso approve ot the repeal by said Legislature of the infamous law passed by the former Republican Leg s lature for tbe settlement of decedents’ estates under which law estates were being consumed by court costs, and we declare in favor of HI fees and salaries according to tbe necessities of the times, and that rigid economy shall be observed in everv department of the State and Federal Government. 13. We also approve of the .passage by said Legislature of the Metropolitan Police bill, whereby a riotous parttsan police, at the capital of the State, whose chief business was to labor to k s ep the Republican party in power, was superceded by a strictly nou-partisaD police, equally divided as to politics between Democrats and Republicans, and who are requited by the law to preserve order and attend to regular police business, and forbidden to interfere in electiors. It is particularly appropriate that the State should have some voice in choosing the police of its own eapital, where the State Treasury, public buildings and archives and much public property are situated, and where its principal public officers reside, or periodically assemble, and about the greatest nuisanne that can be indicted on a city is a mere partisan police chosen by a lot of ward bummers and low grade politicians and adventurers. We favor al! measures thatwill elevate aud puriry municipal governments and make them protective of the interests of the whole people rather than of the party which, for the time being, happens to be in power

14. We commend the act of the last Democratic Legislature in refusing an indirect subsidy to the contractors upon the New Btate-kouse, and it is the sense of the Democratic party of Indiana that no subsidy, either direct or indirect, shall be hereafter voted to contractor on said building. 15. Resolved, That we" are opposed to calling a convention to alter and amend r.ne Constitution of this Btate. Such a Convention would be a great and useless expense, and would result in unsettling laws and systems now well established and understood, and which could not be as ""ell understood under a new Gonsfn tution for a quarter of a century, it will be wise in this matter to let well enough alone. The country has prospered nnd grown great under the present Constitution, and it nseds no tinker!-g with at the present time, especially inltlie interest of any party seeking to invade the rights of private property and personal liberty now secured by th * Constitution. And any amendments that may become necessary in the future should be made in the cheap, simple and just manner provided in the Constitution itself.

16. It is provided by the Constitution of this State that the liberty of the people should be protected and that their private property should not be taken without just compensation, and we are opposed to any change in the Constitution tending to weaken these safeguards, or to any legislation which asserts the power to take or destroy the private property of any portion of the people of this State, without compensation, or which unjustly in. terferes with their personal liberty as to what they shall eat or drink or as to the kind of dlothing they shall wear, beliov. ing that the government should be administered iu that way best calcinated to confer the greatest good upon the greatest number, without saciiflciug the lights of person or of property, and leaving the innocent creeds, habits, customs and bu* siness of the people unfettered by sump, tu.»ry laws, class legislation, or extortionate monopolies* While standing faithfully by the rights of property and personal liberty guaranteed to the people v hy the Constitution, we distinctly declare that we are in lavor of sooriety and tern, perance, and all proper means for ibs promotion of these virtues, but we believe that a well regulated license systf m, and reasonable and just laws upon the sub}- ct. faithfully enforced, would be better than extreme measures which, being subversive of persou.nl liberty and in conflict with public sentiment, would never be effectively executed, thus bringing law Into disrepute and tending to make sneaks and hypocrites of our peo’ pie; therefore we are opposed to any Constitutional amendment relating | o the subject o’ - tlin manufacture and sale of intoxicating and malt liquors. 17. Believing that the elections should be controlled by the peoi/le binder State laws, and that the stability of our insti, rations depend upon fair elections and an honest count of the votes east by the people, the Democratic party demands a repeal of the laws enacted by the Repub, lican party designed to place the elec tions ander Federal control in violation of the rights of the States, and that it will hold up for the detestation of the people the supreme fraud of 1876-7 by which the will of the people was set aside and usurpers were ulaced in the two most important offices of the eountry. 18. The Republican party stands arraigned at the bar of public opinion f n its long and continued course of usurpation and misrule. It has disregarded the

rights of tbs people and the States; it hs« held on to its ill-gotten power m defiance of tbs popular will by the corrupt use of money in the elections [especially in In* diana in 1880], and it has corrupted public 1 morals by elevating to high places men who are known ts be dishonest, and has continued during a period of peace a system of high taxation justified only by a condition of war in which it had its ori* | gin. and to furnish a pretext foi its continuance has favored every extravagant appropriation of the public money, entailed a burden on the neople. and which is a lieneflt only to tho-e who share in the plunder. The remedy for these evils is an immediate change of administra-* tion. Let taxation be reduced to *he end that the money shall remain in the pock* cts of tbe people instead of accumulat* ing in the Treasury to tempt the cupidity of tbe venal and corrupt. 19. The cohtinu&nce ot the same party or set of men in power consecutively for a great many years is naturally corrupting. and not in accordance with the genius oflour republican institutions. Tbelong continuance ot the Republican party in power, now nearly the quarter of a century, hag led to Star-route and other frauds and corruptions frightful to con * template, the full extent of which will \ never be known until the partv is driven from power, which is now demanded by the best interests of the country; and we favor holdihg all public officers to a strict accountability, and their prompt and severe punishment for all theita of public money and corrupt mal,administration of office.

90. Resolved, That our confidence in, and esteem for, Hon. Daniel W. Yoorbees, our great representative in the Uni* ted States Senate, continues unabated, and we cheerfully greet him. and his Democratic associates from Indiana in the House ot Representatives, with the plaudit: “well done, good and faithful public servants.” 21 . Reselved, That it will be tbe mission of the Democratic party to foster ar d build up all the great business and material interests of the country and restore the Government to tbe purity of its earlier days. To successfully accomplish this a man should be pisced in the Presidential chair in whom the business men of the country, and the whole people, have implicit confidence; a man fully endowed with all the qualities desirable in the bead of the great American Republic; a man with a pure and spot less personal and political record, and always sound upon all the great questions >f the times.

We know Joseph E. McDonald of Indiana, to be such a man. We respectfully present his name to the people of the United States as worthy to be their President, and we hereby instruct the delegates from Indiana to the Democratic National Convention to support his nomination for that high office as a unit, and to use all honorable means to secure his nomination.

Time and place for Congressional Convention—July 22d, at this place. Delegates: Jas, W. Douthit, Dr. J U. Loughridge, Esq.,fames Yeoman, P. E. Davis Austin. Oc the county Democratic ticket for County Treasurer, Ex-Auditor Ezra C. Nowels is so far the only one spoken i His well-known fitness and hom-fty and popularity are urgt* ed on all aides, and if nominated we understand will accept. Wash Scott, of Milroy, and Wil*» liarn hoover, of Marion township are being urged by their respective friends for the Democratio nomination for Sheriff of Jasper county.— Honest aud capable, either would make splendid, possibly a successful race. Mr. Adam Hess, of Giliam town* ship, is urged by many friends|in|that and other localities as a very proper candidate for Sheriff on the Democratic ticket. Ad is a first-rate Democrat, a good citizen, and very popular among his acquaintances.